List of alternative shells for Windows

This is a list of software that provides an alternative graphical user interface for Microsoft Windows operating systems. The technical term for this interface is a shell. Windows' standard user interface is the Windows shell; Windows 3.0 and Windows 3.1x have a different shell, called Program Manager. The programs in this list do not restyle the Windows shell, but replace it; therefore, they look and function differently, and have different configuration options.

Shell	Software license	Windows versions									Development status
		3.1x	9x	2000	XP	Vista	7	8	10	11
Blackbox	Template:Free	Template:No2	Template:No2	Template:No2	Template:Yes2	Template:Yes2	Template:Yes2	Template:Yes2	Template:Yes2	Template:Yes2	Template:Dropped
BumpTop	Template:Free	Template:No2	Template:No2	Template:No2	Template:Yes2	Template:Yes2	Template:Yes2	Template:Yes2	Template:Yes2	Template:Yes2	Template:Site inactive
Cairo Shell	Template:Free	Template:No2	Template:No2	Template:No2	Template:No2	Template:No2	Template:Yes2	Template:Yes2	Template:Yes2	Template:Yes2	Template:Site active<ref>{{#invoke:citation/CS1|citation	CitationClass=web }}</ref>
Calmira	Template:Free	Template:Yes2	Template:No2	Template:No2	Template:No2	Template:No2	Template:No2	Template:No2	Template:No2	Template:No2	Template:Site inactive
Central Point Desktop	Template:Proprietary	Template:Yes2	Template:No2	Template:No2	Template:No2	Template:No2	Template:No2	Template:No2	Template:No2	Template:No2	Template:Site inactive
Classic Shell	Template:Proprietary	Template:No2	Template:No2	Template:No2	Template:No2	Template:No2	Template:Yes2	Template:Yes2	Template:Yes2	Template:No2	Template:Site inactive
Emerge Desktop	Template:Free	Template:No2	Template:No2	Template:Yes2	Template:Yes2	Template:Yes2	Template:Yes2	Template:No2	Template:No2	Template:No2	Template:Site inactive
LDE(X)	Template:Free	Template:No2	Template:No2	Template:Yes2	Template:Yes2	Template:No2	Template:No2	Template:No2	Template:No2	Template:No2	Template:Site inactive
LiteStep	Template:Free	Template:No2	Template:Yes2	Template:Yes2	Template:Yes2	Template:Yes2	Template:Yes2	Template:Yes2	Template:Yes2	Template:No2	Template:Dropped
Norton Desktop	Template:Proprietary	Template:Yes2	Template:No2	Template:No2	Template:No2	Template:No2	Template:No2	Template:No2	Template:No2	Template:No2	Template:Site inactive
Open-Shell	Template:Free	Template:No2	Template:No2	Template:No2	Template:No2	Template:No2	Template:Yes2	Template:Yes2	Template:Yes2	Template:Yes2	Template:Site active
Packard Bell Navigator	Template:Proprietary	Template:Yes2	Template:Yes2	Template:No2	Template:No2	Template:No2	Template:No2	Template:No2	Template:No2	Template:No2	Template:Site inactive
NewWave	Template:Proprietary	Template:Yes2	Template:No2	Template:No2	Template:No2	Template:No2	Template:No2	Template:No2	Template:No2	Template:No2	Template:Site inactive
Program Manager II	Template:Free	Template:No2	Template:No2	Template:No2	Template:No2	Template:Yes2	Template:Yes2	Template:Yes2	Template:Yes2	Template:Yes2	Template:Dropped
SharpEnviro	Template:Free	Template:No2	Template:No2	Template:No2	Template:Yes2	Template:Yes2	Template:Yes2	Template:No2	Template:No2	Template:No2	Template:Site inactive
TabWorks	Template:Proprietary	Template:Yes2	Template:No2	Template:No2	Template:No2	Template:No2	Template:No2	Template:No2	Template:No2	Template:No2	Template:Site inactive
Talisman Desktop	Template:Proprietary	Template:No2	Template:Yes2	Template:Yes2	Template:Yes2	Template:Yes2	Template:Yes2	Template:Yes2	Template:Yes2	Template:No2	Template:Dropped<ref>{{#invoke:citation/CS1|citation	CitationClass=web }}</ref><ref>{{#invoke:citation/CS1|citation	CitationClass=web }}</ref>
Xerox Rooms	Template:Proprietary	Template:Yes2	Template:No2	Template:No2	Template:No2	Template:No2	Template:No2	Template:No2	Template:No2	Template:No2	Template:Site inactive

See also

• Comparison of Start menu replacements for Windows 8
• Comparison of X Window System desktop environments
• Desktop environment
• History of the graphical user interface
• Microsoft Bob
• Removal of Internet Explorer

External links

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